Collection highlight

Sanskrit manuscript

About the Asian Collection

The collection covers various subjects including:

astronomy and astrology

chronology

cookery

divinations and the interpretation of dreams

herbals

magic

medicine and the history of medicine

philosophy

religion.

The diversity of content is matched by the diversity of materials used, including metal, bamboo, bone, ivory and palm leaves and microfilm. In addition, the collection covers a wide range of geographical areas and languages.

Projects

The Library is involved in a number of projects relating to its Asian collections:

Wellcome Arabic Manuscripts

The Wellcome Library, in partnership with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and King's College London, created Wellcome Arabic Manuscripts Online, a free, searchable, online library of around 500 manuscripts in Arabic script. The manuscripts come from the Wellcome Library, and include the collection of Dr Sami Ibrahim Haddad (1890-1957), a well-known Lebanese physician and historian of medicine. The project was partly funded by JISC.

Jain Manuscript Project

This is a joint project with the Bodleian Library (Oxford). The Wellcome Library holds some 2000 Jain manuscripts, the largest collection outside India, with some texts unique even on the sub-continent. Jainism is an ancient sect in India that is particularly noted for its belief in non-violence.

Sultan Iskander Horoscope

This is a superb example of medieval Iranian painting, astral science and mathematical calculation. The project aims to produce a facsimile edition of the work, with accompanying booklet.

Islamic manuscripts

Dr Nikolai Serikoff is producing a series of finding aids for the Islamic manuscript collections.

Accessing the Asian Collection

The majority of Asian Collection materials are held in closed stores. If you would like to view items in the Library, you will need to request them online through the Library catalogues. To save time, we recommend ordering material before your visit.

Printed catalogues

Detailed descriptions of the major Asian manuscript collections can be found in printed catalogues. Many of the these catalogues are available online in PDF format, and all may be consulted in the Library's Rare Materials Room.